Qawwali developed in the Delhi Sultanate, and is widely credited to the 13th-century Sufi poet and musician Amir Khusrau, a disciple of the Chishti saint Nizamuddin Auliya. Khusrau based it on the Indian raga and wrote devotional poetry in Persian and Hindavi for gatherings called mehfil-e-sama, held at the saint's lodge in Delhi. The purpose was spiritual: listening, or sama, was seen as a way to awaken divine love and remembrance of God. The repertoire includes hamd, praise of God, and na'at, praise of the Prophet Muhammad, and manqabat, poetry honouring the saints. Instruments such as the harmonium, tabla and dholak were later added to many qawwali groups.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.